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Jurgen Klopp says he'd sign his neighbour Steven Gerrard to play in his current Liverpool team, but warned that the former Reds captain would have to fight for his place.

Klopp and Gerrard live close to each other in Formby on Merseyside, and have bumped into each other on occasion when enjoying outdoor exercise during the coronavirus lockdown.

Both are currently unable to manage their teams during football's enforced break, with Klopp's Liverpool waiting to be able to wrap up the Premier League title and Gerrard's Rangers sitting second in the Scottish Premiership.

Klopp was asked by BT Sport which former Reds star he'd like to sign for his current team, and replied without hesitation.

Klopp says Gerrard "would have to fight" for his place in the team (Image: Liverpool FC)

“Easy. Steven Gerrard, Stevie. That’s easy!" he said.

"But he'd have to fight for it [his place in the team]."

The German went on to recount his recent meetings with the Rangers boss, including once when he was on the phone to one of Gerrard's former Liverpool managers.

“The funny part is that I think I live for four-and-a-half years in the same town as Steven Gerrard and I met him never before, but since the lockdown I saw him already six or seven times," said Klopp.

Gerrard played for Liverpool for 17 years between 1998 and 2015 (Image: Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales Ltd)

"I go for a dog walk or a run or whatever, and he has a walk with the family and stuff like this so we saw each other more often than in all the time together before.

“One day I was on the phone with Gerard Houllier and met Steven Gerrard in the same moment, so that was really cool!

"These kind of things happen only in lockdown so some positive things happened for me as well.”